Police officers often conduct raids of premises where illegal activities are thought to be in progress. Such premises commonly are enclosed by upright barriers such as chain-link fences which hinder access to the premises.
When raiding suspicious premises swiftness of access thereto and quietness are essential if the element of surprise is to be achieved.
It has been proposed heretofore to use folding ladders and portable stiles to enable raiding officers to scale fences and similar barriers. However, such devices necessarily must be large and cumbersome, and commonly require substantial time to erect and position with sufficient stability to provide support for the officers who use them to traverse the barrier. In addition, the known devices frequently are noisy in operation, thereby making it possible for the occupants of the premises being raided to become forewarned of the raid.
Portable fence-scaling devices are not limited to use by law enforcement officers. They frequently can be utilized by the military, firemen, and others when it becomes necessary to traverse a barrier for emergency or safety purposes.